Giantbomb launched July 21st 2008. Since then I've played a good number of games. The aim of this list is to keep a journal dedicated to the ones I've finished, collecting my thoughts into one tidy string.
I don't usually go for the arcadey titles, or at least, I didn't at the time. I found space Invaders Extreme totally compelling, though, and saw it through to the end on the DS. It offers a unique audiovisual experience and maddeningly addictive gameplay. Reviewed <a href="/profile/Dan/reviews/">here</a>.
I have always loved the Phoenix Wright games. However, living in the UK, I've had to wait seemingly forever to get my hands on the third in the series: Trials and Tribulations. Since the release has suffered so many delays here, I took to importing it, and I set about starting it immediately. Sure enough, it's another Phoenix Wright game, with all the thrills and spills you'd expect. I really enjoyed this one though, you can read my review <a href="/profile/Dan/reviews/">here</a>.
I beat this game for the first time before the site launch, but I've been replaying it endlessly even afterward. Since I've completed it recently, it makes the cut.
Metal Gear Solid 4, what can I say about it that hasn't already been said? I enjoy it about as much as it's possible to enjoy a video game. Suffice to say, I think this one's a keeper. I'll probably be playing it again soon, for my sixth play through.
After finishing Trials and Tribulations, I had to get my hands on the fourth game in the Ace Attorney series; Apollo Justice. This game has been divisive among fans from what I've read, but I loved it. The franchise desperately needed a breath of fresh air, and this delivers. I'm not as keen on young Apollo as I was with the original attorney; Phoenix Wright, but since Phoenix sticks around I don't feel too bad about it. As usual with these games, the last case is a real knockout. I'll have a review soon.
In the early days of August 08 this game was patched to include trophies, and I knew I finally had an excuse to go back and finish it. I guess I always had a reason to revisit the title, I knew it was good, but the game can be very unforgiving and for whatever reason I had put it aside for a few months. Well, I've finished it now, and it was exhilarating. Uncharted is a beautiful game, the third person shooting is a little hokey but the platforming is sublime, it's a thrill-a-minute title and the addition of trophies was just the drive I needed to check it more thoroughly under the microscope, and see it through.
I picked up this game because I'm a huge fan of the original Ouendan. I was generally pleased with how this game turned out, but I feel it suffered from the same problem that Elite Beat agents suffered from in the end, the tunes just weren't as good as the original. They were all pretty regular and predictable. I appreciate the ability to skip through intros when replaying a song, but other than that this is just more of the same; more of an expansion pack than a sequel. On the bright side, I do feel ready to go back to the original again now! One night carnival, fun fun.
After so many glowing reviews, I couldn't put off this game any further. I'd already tried the demo and decided it wasn't worth what they were charging for it, but then I hear about it on the 1up show, on podcasts, on every message board known to man, and I knew I had to yield and see what the fuss was about beyond the first world.
Well that was a stupid mistake, the game turns out to offer a mild challenge but it's about as interesting and compelling as dishwater. The mood and music of the game is totally off, and while the art direction is generally good the character designs, enemy designs and animation are truly horrible.
When you finish the game you get some pseudo-intellectual fiction that reminds me of garbage I wrote when I was 15. Blegh, buyer's remorse!
You don't ever really 'complete' Geometry Wars 2, but I feel as if I've played enough of it now to call the experience done.
This game is exceptional value for money, it's so easy to pick up and just play for a few minutes, and those few minutes will always turn into maybe an hour or so. Time disappears.
It's a simple dual-stick shooter, with multiple game modes and a high arcade styling. Your friends' scores are always there taunting you on screen, and it's so easy to quickly restart after a failure. Delicious game, total time sink.
I put 60 hours into this game. It may be a handheld title but do not let that fool you; It's a big boy. There's so much depth do this strategy RPG, so much to do, so many job classes to explore and unlock.
The story is pretty much trite fairytale nonsense, but you just have to consider it an excuse to play battle after battle as you raise an army into an unstoppable force of nature. I recommend this game highly, especially if you enjoyed FF Tactics Advance for the GBA.
This is one hell of a game. Even on normal difficulty, it's one of the hardest games I've beaten in a long time, and it's a wild ride. The game is built around a grapple mechanic, and once you get familiar with its intricacies you become some kind of homicidal ninja master, and there's not even a jump button. At the time of writing, I've also beat about 46 of the challenge rooms. For the £5 I paid for it, this game pays off in spades.
Fantastic music too.
I spent some good time in Japan recently, and picked up Rock Man 2 and a genuine famicom while out there. I finally beat it while still out there after two weeks of sweating out the retro difficulty.
Rock Man 2 (or Mega Man 2 in the western world) is a fantastic, genuine classic that never gets old. I could replay this game countless times. All you ever need is jump and shoot, never mind that 'slide' crap.
This game is amazing. I know it's a lot like the original Gears of War, but the original Gears of War was fantastic and God knows I was hungry for a new one. This does not disappoint. It's a thrill-a-minute action movie, with really high quality stop-and-pop third person shooting mechanics. It's like eating KFC and watching a kung fu movie, with friends. Highly recommended.
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